GB2073012A

GB2073012A - Coupling for suspension of a keyring

Info

Publication number: GB2073012A
Application number: GB8109974A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-04-01
Filing date: 1981-03-31
Publication date: 1981-10-14
Also published as: GB2073012B; FR2478969A1; DE3012607A1; US4376383A

Description

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GB 2 073 012 A 1

SPECIFICATION

Coupling for suspension of a keyring

The invention relates to a coupling for suspension of a keyring, the coupling having 5 adjacent to one end a connector, such as an eye, for connection to the keyring and, at the other end, a jaw, which, by one-handed operation, can be opened against spring loading for connection to a support. Such a coupling is hereinafter referred to 10 as of the kind described.

Keeping a bunch of keys by means of a tightly coiled keyring of spring steel always proves disadvantageous in those cases in which a key is, for example, to be detached from the bunch for a 15 short time. This is timewasting, difficult under unfavourable light conditions and therefore whenever possible is avoided. Taking an everyday example from practice, this would mean, for example, in the case of a bunch of car keys that 20 the ignition key must be withdrawn in order to be able to use the garage key which is on the same ring. There are available auxiliary means such as spring hooks, openable suspension rings, etc. which being associated with the keyring may be 25 used as a coupling. But these form only a makeshift solution and do not master the basic problem.

The object of the present invention is therefore to develop a coupling, for suspension of a keyring 30 from a support such as another key, which is simple to produce and easy to use, so that a quick, deliberate and problem-free separation of the keyring may be achieved without interrupting the support e.g. without removing the other key from 35 its lock. Simple manipulation of the coupling into the captive position is also desirable.

In accordance with the invention, a coupling of the kind described is characterized in that the jaw is formed by cheeks which move towards and 40 away from one another like tongs, the opening between the cheeks when the jaw is open, the interior of the jaw and the connector all being in alignment along a centre line of the coupling.

With this construction, the coupling is very 45 convenient to handle. A key no longer needs to be separated by clumsy "unthreading" from the keyring from the remaining set of keys of which another is in use or is required for use.

As compared with the employment of a 50 commercial spring-hook, sideways hooking on and off which is difficult, particularly in darkness, is eliminated. The operational parts on the contrary lie in line one behind the other in a sensible association. And that is just which facilitates the 55 important coupling or uncoupling of the keyring from e.g. a key which remains inserted in a lock.

Such a coupling also lies conveniently in the hand, whereby the area of grip as a whole is increased further by the ring with the remainder of 60 the keys. Thus also taking into consideration the ergonometric conditions, an optimum design is achieved. In this respect it is advantageous if the centre line is an axis of symmetry. The same operating conditions are then available

65 irrespective of whether the coupling is lying in the hollow of the hand on its back or on its front face, e.g. on one or other wide face.

A direct actuation of the jaw cheeks may be achieved via outer narrow edges, of the cheeks or 70 actuating arm extensions thereof. Alternatively an indirect release may be provided if the cheeks of the tongs are each provided with an arm which can be actuated by a thrust-piece that is displaceable transversely to the plane of 75 movement of the arms and is located in a guide between them.

The area for actuation of the corresponding thrust-piece may exhibit an area about the size of a finger-tip. A return spring for the tong cheeks 80 causes at the same time the outwards movement of the thrust piece. There may be two of the thrust-pieces which are exposed on two wide faces of a central piece and can be pressed inwardly in opposite directions to open the jaw, 85 the thrust-piece each being provided on its inner face with a conical shaping which cooperates with control edges of holes in wide parts of the actuator arms. This arrangement is simple and reliable. In this case it is preferred if the return 90 spring for the cheeks of the tongs lie in the plane of movement of the actuating arms and are positioned at the side of the holes in the actuator arms.

Advantageously, the coupling is at the same 95 time also the carrier of a light source, and the thrust-piece may have the additional function of actuating the source. The arrangement may be such that the thrust-piece is cup-shaped and receives a button cell battery, an edge of which, 100 when the thrust-piece is depressed to open the jaw, engages, at a recess in a wall of the thrust-piece, a contact of a filament lamp to energize the lamp, the lamp being directed towards the opening between the cheeks when the jaw is open 105 and lying in the plane of movement of the cheeks. The thrust-piece is consequently at the same time the light switch. A design which leads to a compact, i.e. extremely flat construction of the coupling, in which the filament lamp lies in the 110 plane of movement of the arms of the tongs, consists in that a return spring for the cheeks of the tongs is formed as a U-shaped leaf spring which embraces the ends of the actuator arms adjacent to a bearing for the actuator arms, the 115 arms being relieved adjacent to their bearing to accommodate the spring.

A construction which simplifies assembly results if the cup-shaped thrust-piece, which contains the button cell battery with a clamp fit is 120 formed at opposite sections of its outer wall with control surfaces against which there rest the actuator arms which are spring-loaded in the closing direction, an edge of the cup having snap-in lugs which engage behind the edge of the guide 125 and limit the outward movement of the thrust-piece. Additional parts for securing the button cell battery in the thrust-piece can thus be avoided. The thrust-piece can, on the contrary, be conveniently equipped beforehand with the

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battery and merely needs to be associated with the thrust-piece by the simple snap connection. The spring-loaded actuator arms engaging with the corresponding control faces of the thrust-piece 5 bring about safety in use the outwards movement of the thrust-piece into its normal position. Dismantling is also simple to effect if the part of the cup wall in which the recess is formed projects outwardly of the central piece. A tool can then be 10 applied in the recess to snap the thrust-piece out of the guide. By this means exchanging the battery can be performed extremely simply and practically by anyone.

If end sections of the cheeks, which come 15 together when the jaw is closed, form inside the jaw a bearing surface running in a straight line, an inadvertent spreading of the cheeks and opening of the jaw is avoided, even in the case of above-average loading of the coupling in tension, e.g., 20 because of a disproportionately heavy bunch of keys. Further advantageous security may be provided if the end-section of the cheeks engage over one another to form a Z-engagement. There is thus achieved a partly interlocking closure of the 25 jaw, which protects the hinge of the actuator arms against lateral loading.

Some examples of coupling constructed in accordance with the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:—

30 Figure 1 shows a first coupling in front elevation;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the first coupling;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line III—ill in Figure 2 but to a smaller scale and with the jaw 35 opened;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line IV—IV in Figure 2;

Figure 5 shows a second coupling in front elevation;

40 Figure 6 is a side elevation of the second coupling;

Figure 7 is a section taken on the line VII—VII. in Figure 6, with the jaw open;

Figure 8 shows a third coupling in front 45 elevation;

Figure 9 is an enlarged vertical section through the third coupling;

Figure 10 is a section taken on the line X—X in Figure 9 but with the jaw open;

50 Figure 11 is a section taken on the line XI—XI in Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a front elevation of a further coupling with a special design of jaw;

Figure 13 is an elevation corresponding to 55 Figure 12 but with a slight modification to the jaw;

Figure 14 is an elevation corresponding to part of Figure 12 but showing a further variant of jaw;

Figure 15 corresponds to Figure 14 but showing the jaw open; and,

Figure 16 is a section taken on the line XVI—XVI in Figure 14.

The coupling in accordance with all of the illustrated examples has an elongate central piece 1 which forms the actual basic body and has a 65 longitudinal axis x-x.

The central piece 1 supports at one end a maximum of two cheeks 2 which move with respect to one another like tongs. The cheeks 2 of the tongs form a jaw M which can be opened by deliberate action and the width of the resulting opening is designated by y.

The interior R of the jaw M communicates with the opening y. At its other end the coupling 1 terminates in an eye 0. The opening y, the interior R and the eye 0 lie on one and the same longitudinal axis x-x. This longitudinal axis x-x forms at the same time the axis of symmetry of the coupling.

The jaw is held closed under spring loading. The return spring (Figure 10) or return springs which engage with the cheeks 2 of the tongs to urge the jaw closed are designated by 4. End-faces 2' of the cheeks butt together. The end faces too lie in the closed position of the coupling on the longitudinal axis x-x. But the end faces may diverge outwards over about half the thickness of the cheeks at an angle of about 45 degrees so that they form lead faces which assist opening of the jaw.

The ends of the cheeks engage through a hole 5 in a handle 6 of, for example, an ignition key 7. The eye 0, lying at the other end, carries a keyring 8 which can swing and onto which are threaded further keys 9 such, for example, as a garage key.

These remaining keys may be uncoupled from the ignition key 7 so that the ignition key can remain in the ignition lock and thus the engine does not need to be stopped and restarted. The uncoupling can only be performed deliberately but also extremely conveniently. The opening movement of the cheeks of the tongs is caused directly or indirectly by one-hand-operation against the force of the return springs 4. Such direct actuation appears from the embodiment as Figures 1 to 4 in which the direct engagement of the operating hand is effected against the components forming the cheeks 2 of the tongs.

The two cheeks 2 of the tongs continue each into an actuator lever 10 which are supported by the central piece 1 and which have a pin 11. The cheeks 2 of the tongs are made relatively slender whilst the actuator lever 10 which extends adjacent to the hinge, with part of its area freely projecting from the central piece 1, and which can be acted upon at its free narrow edges, is wider. " The components forming the cheeks 2 of the tongs it may be punched blanks shaped in the form of a S. Their ends cross over one another as * they cross over the longitudinal axis x-x. The central piece 1 exhibits the shape of an oval having different end radii. The thicker end lies next to the jaw.

In the case of the examples of Figures 1 to 7 the return springs 4 load the actuator levers 10 from the inside. The return springs 4 in this case are helical compression springs which each lie in a cross bore 13 in the central piece 1, shown as a blind drilled hole.

The location of the punched blanks is effected in slots 16 of the central piece 1 which in practice

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forms a housing. The slots take into consideration that the punched blanks overlie one another like scissors, but, in the region of the jaw, are offset in a common plane (cf. Figure 2). The contour of the 5 slots 16 also provides stops 17 for the opening movement.

In the case of the example of Figures 5 to 7, the direct actuation of the cheeks 2 of the tongs is replaced by an indirect actuation. For this purpose 10 the cheeks 2 of the tongs each exhibit a thrust-piece 18 which can be displaced transversely to their plane of movement. Guides 19, which receive the thrust-piece 18, are open towards the wide faces of the flat central piece 1, so that with 15 the finger of the operating hand the projecting thrust-piece 18 can be depressed inwardly in opposite directions. The thrust-pieces 18, which are essentially disc-shaped, lie likewise symmetrical to the longitudinal axis x-x of the 20 central piece 1, which is shaped in contour in the form of an egg.

The thrust-pieces 18 each continues inwards into a cone or a truncated cone 20 and its base terminates flush with the inner face of the thrust-25 piece 18. The shell of the truncated cone cooperates with the control edge 21 which is formed by the edge of a hole 22 provided in an actuator arm 10' of a respective cheek 2 of the tongs. As may be seen from Figure 5, in the closed 30 the position the holes 22 move into a position of intersection such that there is only a reduced approximately lens-shaped cross-section of the hole. Upon depression of the thrust-pieces 18 and the resulting penetration of the truncated cones 35 20 into the holes 22, the latter are forced into a position coinciding with one another, which leads to the opening of the jaw M (cf. Figure 7).

Securing' together of the thrust-pieces 18 is effected by a screw threaded pin 23 lying centrally 40 and projecting from the truncated cone of one thrust-piece in which it is movable to a limited extent. The pin is received in a complementary screw thread in the other thrust-piece 18. A head 23' of the pin engages a shoulder formed in the 45 central bore in the one thrust-piece 18 to limit the outward movement of the thrust-pieces. The interior of the one thrust-piece 18 is hollowed out on the outside and may be closed by a cover-plate 18". The travel of the cones corresponds with the 50 thickness of the two punched blanks.

A return spring 4 is associated with the side of each actuator arm 10'. The return springs 4 lie in the plane of movement of the cheeks 2 of the tongs.

55 The example of Figures 8 to 11, the thrust-piece 18, which is cup-shaped with the cup opening inwardly, receives inside it a button cell battery 33. Only one thrust-piece 18 is provided, however, but for controlling the cheeks 2 of the 60 tongs, is fitted in such a way that the thrust-piece controls both cheeks of the tongs via their actuator arms 10'. In the depressed position of the thrust-piece 18 the battery 33 comes with its edge 34 up against one contact 35 of a filament 65 lamp 36 arranged in the central piece 1. The filament lamp 36 projects beyond the head of the central piece 1, that is, in the direction of the opening y and the jaw M of the tongs. Upon the opening movement of the jaw the filament lamp is 70 thus switched on at the same time. The target area is thereby illuminated which still further facilitates the connection of the coupling with the key 7.

The bottom of the central piece 1 is lined with a 75 conductive flap 38 which completes the electrical circuit and leads to a screw socket 39 for the filament lamp 36. The flap 38 is raised a little at one end in a direction towards the thrust-piece 18 so that because of the rubbing contact thereby 80 achieved a spark-eliminating contact occurs.

The button cell battery 33 is contained with a clamp fit in the cup shaped thrust-piece 18 and hence secured in position. In that way it cannot drop into the free section of the guide 19. The 85 correspondingly peripherally projecting edge 34 of the battery 33, which provides the contact, can in that case advantageously be made use of as a snap-in ring, for which purpose the corresponding zone of the inner edge of the cup of the thrust-90 piece exhibits an annular shoulder 18' with a lead-in face. The necessary deflection of the wall of the cup is provided by the flexibility of the plastics material employed and from the fact that the wall of the cup has a recess 42 at its top. The length of 95 the recess 42 allows the application of a tool (for example, a screwdriver, hair-slide, etc.) which raises or respectively snaps the thrust-piece 18 out of the guide shaft 19. The width of the recess

42 is on the contrary so dimensioned that it is 100 exclusively the edge 34 of the battery which comes into contact with the contact 35 upon actuation of the thrust-piece.

The spreading movement of the tongs depends upon the control faces 40 explained above, 105 corresponding with the face of a cone-shaped shell, at the circumference of the cup-shaped thrust-piece 18, these control faces 40 cooperating with control edges 21 on the actuator arms (cf. Figure 11). The return spring which 110 brings about the closing of the cheeks 2 of the tongs is made here in the form of a leaf spring 4' shaped approximately in the form of a U embracing the bearing for the arms 10', and, via control faces 40, forces the thrust-piece 18 115 outwards into its normal position. The spring 4' is housed in a niche in the edge of the central piece and the ends of its arms are bent inwards and enter recesses in the outer faces of the actuator arms 10'.

20 The thrust-piece 18 is fixed by a snap-in mounting, the edge of the cup having snap-in lugs

43 lying diametrically opposite one another on its outer wall. These lugs lie on the longitudinal axis x-x and engage behind an edge 19', which is

125 slightly undercut for that purpose of the guide 19 which is closed at the bottom. The backs of the lugs are designed as lead-in bevels converging towards the guide.

The control faces 40 of the thrust-piece 18 130 extend in the transverse direction, i.e.

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perpendicular to the longitudinal axis x-x. The ends of the actuator arms 10' adjacent to the bearing are mutually relieved so that the crank in the region of the cheeks 2 of the tongs (Figure 2) may 5 be omitted too. The construction thereby becomes flatter.

Each of the examples can with respect to its jaw M be further modified as shown in Figures 12 to 16. Thus end sections 2" next to the opening of 10 the cheeks 2 may form inside the jaw a bearing surface K running in a straight line for engaging the hole 5 in a key. This bearing surface extends transversely to the tensile loading which occurs, and in the plane of pivot of the actuator arms 10' 15 and thus avoids a tendency of the cheeks to separate under overload.

This flattening on the inside of the jaw can as may be seen from Figure 12 extend along a relatively short region or else, as is clear in 20 Figure 13, across nearly the whole width of the interior R of the jaw.

In Figures 14 to 16 this measure is adopted with the addition that end sections 2" of the cheeks 2 also engage over one another like claws 25 to form at that point a Z-engagement F. The central section of the Z-joint F extends in the plane of the jaw whilst the shorter sections of the joint which form in practice the end faces 2' of the cheeks, offset in steps, run out in opposite 30 directions tranversely to the plane of the jaw.

These sections extend perpendicular to the central section. In spite of the overlapping engagement of the end portions the stepping need not affect the overall circular cross-section of the cheeks 2 in 35 this region.

Claims

1. A coupling for suspension of a keyring, the coupling having adjacent to one end a connector for connection to the keyring and, at its other end,

40 a jaw, which, by one-handed operation can be opened against spring loading characterized in that the jaw is formed by cheeks which move towards and away from one another like tongs, the opening between the cheeks when the jaw is 45 open, the interior of the jaw and the connector all being in alignment along a centre line of the coupling.

2. A coupling according to claim 1,

characterized in that the centre line is an axis of

50 symmetry.

3. A coupling according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the cheeks of the tongs are each provided with an arm which can be actuated by a thrust-piece that is displaceable transversely to the plane of movement of the arms and is located in a guide between them.

4. A coupling according to claim 3,

characterized in that there are two of the thrust-pieces which are exposed on two wide faces of a central piece and can be pressed inwardly in opposite directions to open the jaw, the thrust-piece each being provided on its inner face with a conical shaping which cooperates with control edges of holes in wide parts of the actuator arms.;

5. A coupling according to claim 4, characterized in that return springs for the cheeks of the tongs lie in the plane of movement of the actuator arms and are positioned at the sides of the holes in the actuator arms.

6. A coupling according to claim 3, characterized in that the thrust-piece is cup-shaped and receives a button cell battery, an edge of which, when the thrust-piece is depressed to open the jaw, engages, at a recess in a wall of the thrust-piece, a contact of a filament lamp to energize the lamp, the lamp being directed towards the opening between the cheeks when the jaw is open and lying in the plane of movement of the cheeks.

7. A coupling according to claim 6, characterized in that a return spring for the cheeks of the tongs is formed as a U-shaped leaf spring which embraces the ends of the actuator arms adjacent to a bearing for the actuator arms, the arms being relieved adjacent to their bearing to accommodate the spring.

8. A coupling according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that the cup-shaped thrust-piece, which contains the button cell battery with a clamp fit, is formed at opposite sections of its outer wall with control surfaces against which there rest the actuator arms which are spring-loaded in the closing direction, an edge of the cup having snap-in lugs which engage behind the edge of the guide and limit the outward movement of the thrust-piece.

9. A coupling according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that end-sections of the cheeks, which some together when the jaw is closed, form inside the jaw a bearing surface running in a straight line.

10. A coupling according to claim 9, characterized in that the end-sections of the cheeks engage over one another to form a Z-engagement.

11. A coupling according to claim 1, substantially as described with references to any one of the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press, Leamington Spa, 1981. Published by the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.